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The interior of the offensive line continues to be perceived as a weak link on the New York Giants roster as training camp kicks off. The recent placement of center Jonotthan Harrison (hamstring) on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list certainly doesn’t help to ease concerns.
Last week, the team attempted to address the position by putting in a claim on center Lamont Gaillard, who was recently waived by the Arizona Cardinals. Ultimately Big Blue lost out to the Cincinnati Bengals for Gaillard’s services. Sent back to the drawing board, the team continued rummaging through the center market on Tuesday, hosting former Miami Dolphins starter Evan Boehm for a workout.
With Harrison sidelined, the Giants are looking exceptionally thin at center with undrafted free agent rookie Brett Heggie as the lone active player behind starter Nick Gates on the depth chart. On top of that, head coach Joe Judge informed reporters following the first day of camp that the team “might occasionally flex” Gates from center to guard in 2021, via NJ Media Group’s Zach Rosenblatt.
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Center/Guard Flexibility
Boehm, 27, is a former fourth-round pick of the Cardinals back in 2016. His time in the desert lasted two seasons, with the majority of his playing time coming at the guard position as opposed to the center spot. The Missouri product actually entered the 2017 season as the team’s starting center before losing the gig to Earl Watford after five games. He regained the spot over the final three weeks of the season after Watford landed on injured reserve.
Boehm was released in early September the following season, leading to a cup of coffee on the Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad. In October of that year, the Indianapolis Colts poached Boehm from the Rams, where he went on to appear in 11 games for the team, including four starts at center.
The following offseason, the Colts shipped Boehm off to the 305, where the Miami Dolphins acquired him for a sixth-round pick in the 2020 draft. It was here where the Missouri native earned his most extensive game action, drawing eight starts with the ‘Phins in 2019.
Boehm is a 21-Game Career Starter
Boehm hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since his 13-game stint in Miami. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as a free agent ahead of last season but was ultimately released after a short period on the practice squad/injured list. Boehm eventually made his way down the road to Jacksonville where he spent the remainder of the year on the Jaguars’ practice squad.
Should the Giants pull the trigger on Boehm, chances are they wouldn’t expect him to push Gates for snaps at center or facilitate Gates’ move to guard. If the latter scenario proves to be New York’s preferred path for Gates, plugging Harrison in at center likely remains the team’s best plan of action. Still, Boehm is a veteran with 55 career games (21 starts) under his belt who possesses position flexibility at an area of need for the Giants, making him a viable addition at this juncture.
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